Most of the cultural artifacts donated have been assembled by tribal groups from the northern plains Indians (Sioux, Cheyenne, Arapaho, etc.) and some from the Southwest. It’s hard to find artifacts from native groups who lived in the city of Seminole area since no Indians have inhabited this area consistently since the Tocobaga in the early 1500’s. And all Tocobaga artifacts are found in village ruins and middens which are unearthed through archaeological excavations and these reside in Museums, not in private hands. Much of these prehistoric artifacts are lost due to rot and decay; only isolated objects of stone, bone and ceramics survive the Florida environment. Thus, based on my (Roger Block) thirty years of research in Native America and working with many tribal groups, I am confident in stating that there is a general consistency in fundamental spiritualism and traditions across all Native groups from the Gulf of Mexico to the Northern Plains and from the eastern forests to the Pacific coast. All Native groups honored the Spirit World and their natural environment in similar ways and made cultural artifacts to serve their earthly needs with local materials and materials obtained in trade networks across our entire nation. Thus, what the Plains Indian made to honor the Spirit World or to conduct ceremonies were very similar to what Eastern and even Gulf Coast Tribes made and used. The purpose in all cases was the same and the implementation varied with local materials and elements of trade that were available. Thus, look at these cultural artifacts as typical representations of what Native America used in their everyday lives, even the Tocobagas. But Tocobaga artifacts can only be found in buried ruins and middens and those that remain in those contexts are only isolated, durable pieces of the ancient artifacts and thus lost mostly to history.
Manikin displaying a Tocobaga Indian shaman’s regalia.
Refer to the wall placard that describes this impressive display of the Tocobaga shaman.
On pillar - Two fancy Seminole Indian men’s jackets made using traditional patchwork design techniques.
On pillar - Plains Indian warrior breastplate using bone and rifle shells.
Breastplates were worn into battle by Indian warriors. The Sioux, Cheyenne, Crow and other Indian tribal groups followed their “warrior society” tradition that required their warriors to defend traditional hunting grounds and steal horses from their enemies. This breastplate features traditional materials including colored beads and black colored bison bone hairpipes. These hairpipes were made by white settlers and traded to Indian tribes in exchange for hides and pelts.
What is unique about this breastplate is that the central panels are made of rifle shells. Breastplates provided minimal, if any, protection from enemy arrows or bullets. These breastplates were more decorative or for spiritual inspiration rather than for defensive capability.
The Tocobaga tribe of Tampa Bay were part of the Mississippian Indian culture of mound builders that inhabited the vast region of America stretching from Florida, throughout the Southeast and northward through the Mississippi River drainage to Chaokia and the Great Lakes. The Tocobaga were hunter- gatherers with a seafood diet of fish and shell-fish as their predominant food source.
They were a chiefdom led society, but were committed to a strong spiritual foundation maintained and controlled by village spiritual leaders, healers and shamans. This mannequin represents a young village shaman chosen by the Spirit World during his vision quest made when he was a youth. His deer skin tunic and leggings, face paint, and decorations were critical to his success as an “intermediary” for his people with the Spirit World.
His head-band, facial decoration and dress adornments honor the four sacred cardinal directions of east(red), south(yellow), west(black), and north(white). All four directions represented strong spiritual entities in the Native world. He also is adorned with many totem symbols which represent spiritual beings that are with you for life in the natural world and the spiritual world. They are spirit companions or helpers for the shaman to consult with in his religious practice.
The totems for this shaman are the turkey feathers in his headdress, the bear claws on his head band, the turtle and alligator feet on the end of his earrings and necklace, the wolf skin collar, and the beaver skull atop his staff of office.
He also wears as stone point pendant necklace to honor his ancient Paleo-Indian ancestors, consistent with the strong tradition of ancestral worship in Native America.
Notice he wears anklets consisting of deer toe nails to serve as “hands free” rattles used to aid his meditation and prayer making with the Spirit World.